Buried
by Torrentiality
Summary: (Chosen Sequel) A long-dormant power has stirred; Tori and Jade must now face ancient forces. If they fail to subdue this new enemy it will mean the end of the Guardian race and leave the mortal realm utterly defenseless against the oncoming storm.
1. Chapter 1

Somewhere in the bitterly cold night, a pane of glass shattered. A group of three small, hunched figures pulled themselves out of the snow through a busted window and into the back room of an Astoria pet store. "Ferrets!" One of them whispered excitedly, poking her fingers through the cage to stroke the stirring creatures.

"If that's what you feel like eating tonight, by all means," another scowled. She made her way towards the kennels housing the puppies. They barked wildly as she approached, scrambling towards the back of the cage in a pitiful attempt to escape. "I hate winter," she muttered under his breath, yanking open the first door and snatching a small lab by the scruff of its neck. It whined pathetically in her grasp and she shoved it carelessly into a large duffle bag.

It was early January in New York, the coldest time of the year. She and her pack normally preyed on the desolate homeless population in the area, but they had all been driven indoors to homeless shelters as winter trudged on. With their food source in guarded hibernation, they had to resort to alternative methods: pet stores and animal shelters. It was degrading.

She moved down the row discriminately, selecting only the fattest and largest specimens to feast on. Her companions did the same around the store, gathering rabbits, cats, and anything else they could fit into their bags that would feed them for the next few days. They had to finish quickly; though they had disabled the security system the wailing animals were sure to draw unwanted attention. Within minutes they were leaving, each shouldering a large, writing bag of fresh meat. The one tailing behind pulled a corn snake from her pocket and clamped down on its head with her powerful jaws. The body twisted and coiled around her fingers and in her mouth like a possessed Twizzler candy as she chewed on it.

"Aren't there enough rats in this city for you three to eat?" A voice called from behind them.

The trio turned quickly, bearing their long fangs aggressively and releasing an angry hiss. Before them, standing in a weak beam of light from a lone streetlamp, stood a single girl clad in a navy leather jacket and black jeans. Her emerald-streaked hair draped across her shoulders, mostly obscuring her face. "It's our lucky night, ladies. Looks like we will get human flesh to hold us over. Or, should I say, Guardian flesh?"

The stranger strode forward and the demons braced themselves. As soon as she exited the orange glow of the streetlight, however, she vanished. The three stared, dumbfounded, and took a hesitant step forward. "Where'd she go?" Their leader hissed.

"Behind you," the hybrid whispered in her ear, plunging a dagger between her shoulder blades. The tip pierced through her chest and black blood poured from the wound, spilling down her torso. The small demon released a gurgling sound as blood spilled into her esophagus. She fell forward, dead before she hit the snow. Tar-colored blood trickled from the corner of the mouth as her lifeless, bloodshot eyes stared ahead.

"Shadow-walker!" One of the others cried. They bared their fangs and dropped their bags in the snow.

"Please, make this interesting," their attacker taunted.

"You could stop teleporting and even the odds a little bit," a voice called from the mouth of the alley.

The lone girl didn't bother to turn. "It'd still be too easy," she sighed.

The new arrival crunched through the snow to her companion's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder affectionately. In her free hand she clutched a crimson-stained short sword. "Aswangs?"

"It would appear so," the pale girl replied.

"When you weren't waiting for me at your apartment I figured you might need this," her companion explained, passing the weapon to her. The pale girl smirked at the demons as she twirled the blade in her grip.

The demons stared suspiciously at them, suddenly feeling ill-equipped to face these foes. They shared a sideways glance and began to back away slowly before turning and breaking into a run. As they passed through the beam of light to the other side they watched as a pair of silvery-blue eyes materialized in the darkness. They attempted to skid to a halt, only to stumble and slide uncontrollably on the icy pavement.

The pale girl swung her sword in a wide arc, cleanly decapitating the nearest one. She followed her momentum through and spun on her heel, piercing the final demon through the throat. Her red eyes bulged as she pawed weakly at the weapon, gurgling and gagging through the blood. Jade ripped the blade free and watched, brow raised in amusement, as she collapsed in the snow on top of her fallen sister and lay still.

"That seemed uneventful," Tori called from a few yards away as she knelt down to examine their discarded bags. "What were they even doing in this part of–oh, puppies!" That Latina exclaimed shrilly as she lifted a fluffy Pomeranian into the air and cradled it in her arms.

Jade chuckled as she stepped over their bodies and made her way back to her girlfriend. She stood on her tiptoes and pecked Tori on the lips as she took the dog from her. "They're going back to the pet store, Vega. Don't get any ideas," she explained, turning her head as the puppy licked her face.

"Can't we keep one of them?" The younger girl pleaded as she retrieved the writhing bag from the snow. "There're so many!"

"I'm not puppy-sitting for you while you're gallivanting across the globe on Guardian business," Jade replied firmly.

"Jaaaaade," Tori whined as the older girl returned towards the pet store.

"Bad girl! Bad! No!" She teased, wagging a finger in her face.

"Oh, that's not cute."

"Is this what you've been up to since I last saw you?" Tori asked moments later as she and Jade walked down a New York sidewalk on their way to dinner. They walked hand-in-hand briskly through the light snow that had begun to fall, eager to reach their destination before the weather got any worse.

Jade brushed a few tresses of wind-swept hair from her face. "So I get a little bored when you're not around," she admitted. Tori had been gone for a week now on Guardian business, leaving Jade to her own devices.

It had been a few months since Eris' attempted apocalypse. Since then Jade had moved from her crumbling Brooklyn brownstone to a nicer apartment in Kingsbridge. Shocktop's had closed since the incident with the Totoli, and Jade had found a new job dancing at another nightclub, The Red Devil, much to Tori's chagrin. She was still pulling her old tricks to rake in the tips, also to Tori's annoyance, but was, on the whole, staying out of trouble.

She'd even returned to the occasional demon slaying now that she wasn't concerned with the Brotherhood hunting her down, which is apparently how she kept herself busy when Tori was away on business. "Though stumbling onto them tonight was just luck," she explained. "I was heading to the liquor store."

"Based on the texts you were sending me this morning I expected to walk into your apartment to find you waiting for me on a bed of roses. Imagine how disappointing it was to find you playing in the snow with a couple of low-level demons," Tori tsked.

"Silly girl. You know I'm allergic to roses," Jade joked, nodding at a door just ahead. "This is it up here."

* * *

"How'd the mission go?" Jade inquired as they took their seats at the table. They shed their heavy coats and draped them on the back of their chairs and brushed the snow from their hair. "Where'd you even go? My texts never went through."

"Ugh," Tori huffed. "Middle of nowhere desert. Nowhere even remotely interesting." She watched as Jade unwound the plum-colored scarf from around her neck and folded it over her coat. Her eyes wandered over her hungrily as she shed her heavy layers; she'd missed her this past week, especially not having cell reception. She frowned when she spied a gash on her throat. It had already closed up, but was still red and puckered. "What's that?"

"Hm?" Jade brushed her neck. "Oh. Vampire. A few days ago. He's dust, don't worry" she dismissed. "So, necromancers?"

She was discussing the mission again. "Yeah, they summoned something ugly. They had no idea what they were doing." Necromancers were usually little more than humans who had watched too much fantasy television. Little understanding, but still held the potential to create a lot of trouble.

"And Trina?" Her visit to see Trina is what delayed Tori's visit an extra day.

"Still out," Tori said quietly. The Brotherhood had quickly determined that no amount of counseling or reasoning would make Eris release her hold on Trina's mind. They had placed her in an enchanted sleep, hoping that, with time and without Eris' constant oppression, Trina would be able to gain more mental ground. It was only a temporary solution. "Any luck with Mercy?"

Though not officially affiliated with the Guardians anymore, Jade had made it her business to reclaim her part of town where she could by herself. Her current objective was to track down Mercy, the demon bartender that had poisoned her for months. He was still at large, and she was having trouble locating leads to hunt him down. "Please explain to me how a big burly man who smells like coleslaw and stale cigarettes can fall off the face of the earth?"

"Are you worried he's up to something?"

"No. The coward's probably just hiding. I'll keep looking."

"Not tonight, I hope," Tori smiled.

Jade smirked. "Why? Did you have something else in mind?"

"A few things, actually."

"Do tell."

* * *

Tori, as usual, awoke first that next morning. When she stayed with Jade she typically slipped away for an early workout and had just enough time to make coffee before the half demon roused herself. This morning, however, she decided it was too bitterly cold. Last night's storm had dumped six inches of snow on the ground and the warm-blooded Latina couldn't fathom running in this weather.

Instead she pushed herself carefully up onto her elbow and tucked a few strands of hair draped across Jade's face behind her ear. Her brows twitched her in sleep but remained otherwise undisturbed. The older hybrid snuggled deeper against the girl behind her and continued snoring lightly. Tori felt herself smiling, grateful for this time. Only when Jade was asleep was she not making some sort of sassy or sarcastic comment; it was during the early morning or late at night when Tori stirred herself awake could she study her lover without teasing.

Her brown eyes wandered from Jade's peaceful face and down her torso. Both were nude. She wrapped her arm gently across the other girl's waist, studying the contrast between their light and tanned skin. Two fingers lightly traced the self-inflicted scar above her breast, Eris' sacred rune, the one that had allowed her to disappear for all those years. Tori glanced down at an identical one on her own chest, recalling the series of events that had led her to receive it.

In the few months they had been reunited, Tori couldn't imagine how they had remained separated for so long. "Jade," Tori purred in her lover's ear. The older girl grunted as she stirred but said nothing. "Wake up." No response. The brunette sighed; it was always a colossal battle to wake her up before 9 AM. "Come shower with me, lover," she breathed, taking an earlobe between her teeth and tugging gently.

"Go warm up the water," Jade instructed, her eyes still closed.

"I'm not falling for that one again," Tori huffed. Jade rolled out of Tori's arms and over onto her stomach. "… I'll do that thing you like."

She watched blue eyes pop open. "I'm up. I'm up," she yawned as she pushed herself out of bed and made a wobbly beeline for the bathroom.

Tori smirked. For as strong willed as Jade was, she was still easily predictable.

When they exited the shower nearly 45 minutes later, Tori had eight missed calls from Aria and Cat. The Latina frowned and wrapped her towel tightly around her and unlocked her phone. "This can't be good," she murmured as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I thought you were enjoying yourself," Jade disagreed from the next room. She appeared in the doorway, her pale skin splotchy red from the heat of the shower. She rang her hair out in a towel before wrapping it around her body.

Tori put a finger to her lips as she tapped Aria's number. "Where are you?" The council member demanded without even a hello.

"I… with Jade. New York," she replied. "Mission's over. I was debriefed two days ago. I'm taking a few days –"

"We need you here," Aria stated plainly.

"But –"

"Bring Jade. This may concern her too." The call disconnected.

Tori pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in bewilderment. "What was that about?" Jade asked as she pulled on a pair of purple panties.

"Aria wants us back at the council. Both of us," she replied.

"Oh, hell no," Jade refused flatly as she clasped her bra behind her back. "Sounds like Guardian business, which means it's none of mine."

"She asked for _both_ of us, Jade. Specifically mentioned your name."

"Did she say for what?" Tori shook her head and Jade crossed her arms. "Nah."

"Jade, you told her months ago if she really needed your help that you'd be there," Tori argued.

Jade sighed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "You still remember that, huh?"

"Yes, because it distinctly impressed me that you'd be willing to work with them at all again."

"… Fine," Jade conceded as she tugged a black sweater over her head. "But I'm not agreeing to anything. I'm just going to hear her out since apparently her phone etiquette is downright terrible." She bounced on one foot as she struggled with her tight jeans. "Is that understood?"

Tori nodded graciously. "Yeah, just let me get dressed and we can go. She sounded urgent."

Within minutes they were ready to go. They stepped inside Jade's massive closet and shut the door; it was the only room in the apartment that didn't get an impressive amount of sunlight, unlike her tiny little tenement she had moved from. "Fucking Guardians." Tori heard Jade mutter bitterly under her breath as she wrapped her arms around the Latina's lithe frame. Tori hugged her reassuringly as they disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: For those asking what inspired me to push out chapter after chapter, just know that I'm currently existing in a narrow realm of anxiety that's forcing me to either dive into my creative work or become emotionally paralyzed (essentially). Some of you have been clearly pleased with this burst of creative energy, lol. Others are using it as an excuse to berate me for taking so long.**

 **Kind words are appreciated. Constructive criticism is encouraged. Sass is not. Just saying. Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Glad to see that most of you are still around.**

* * *

"Where are we?" Tori asked quizzically when she reopened her eyes. She didn't recognize the room where they had landed.

"I can't teleport into the Guardian inner sanctum," Jade explained, releasing the younger girl.

"The others do it all the time," she frowned.

"Are they Light or Dark?" Jade countered. Tori bit her lip and remained silent. Of course. "They don't permit it on the likely chance one of us goes feral," she explained. Sometimes she forgot how naïve Tori could be when it came to how much she trusted the council. "It's just a short walk from here."

She pushed open the door and crisp morning sunlight spilled in. "They constructed this for Dark teleporters when they built Sanctum. It's enchanted with a magicks that deter mortals so we can come and go as we please without landing in someone's lap." It was just a simple shed, disguised to blend in with its rural surroundings.

Jade shoved her hands in her jacket pockets and began their trek in silence. It'd been decades since she'd make this walk of shame. She dipped her head and watched her boots as they crushed the early morning frost on the grass, noticing a few other footprints leading in the same direction. Other Dark hybrids had already made the walk this morning, it seemed.

After nearly a half mile down the country road, the pair arrived at a small cottage. Though kept up and tidy, it appeared abandoned to mortals, not that they expected many to travel this road anyway. Any humans that approached would be suddenly reminded of some task or appointment they had to keep or be otherwise persuaded by some other nearby interest. Jade held back as Tori bounded up the steps, retrieving a key from her bag to unlock the door and deadbolt. "What is it?" She asked, realizing before she stepped inside that Jade was no longer behind her.

"Just thinking." She stared up at the home. It was inconsequential. A one story, white cottage with blue shutters and manicured hedges. Totally innocuous from the outside. Inside, however, was a different story. With a sigh, she trudged after Tori, who pushed the door open and allowed her to enter first. She crossed the threshold and glanced around; despite the Guardians' adherence to tradition, the décor had been updated, thankfully.

The house, like Pandora, was altered via dimensional enchantment. It was much bigger on the inside, containing a full dormitory for those who chose to live on site, a training room, a potions kitchen, a meeting room for the elders, and countless others Jade had discovered over the years. She knew, too, that there were secret rooms that only the elders could access, rooms that they kept hidden.

Cat had apparently been waiting on the stairwell for them. She rose to her feet quickly and extended her arms to give Jade a hug; it'd been a few weeks since they'd seen each other. Jade braced herself; Cat's hugs were always overly exuberant, and could easily knock you off your feet if you weren't prepared. Much to her surprise she stumbled to a halt and lowered her arms. Her normally cheerful expression flickered and melted into one of concern. "Aria told me to wait for you here and bring you to her immediately," she explained, clearly anxious.

"What is it that she couldn't even tell us over the phone?" Jade demanded, crossing her arms and refusing to budge another inch. She wasn't moving any deeper into this labyrinth without at least an inkling as to why she'd been summoned.

"Something with the necromancers," Cat explained. "She didn't tell me more than that. She and Sikowitz seemed pretty freaked out though."

"What does that have to do with me, then?" Jade was suspicious. She didn't trust the council, especially when they made it clear that they were keeping secrets. Cat shrugged helplessly. The older hybrid turned to Tori, body rigid in defiance. "Nope. I'm leaving." She took a step towards the door only to have the Latina grab her elbow.

"Jade, please. Come on," she implored. "We're already here."

"Tori, Jade." A voice called from the down the hall. Both girls turned to find Aria leaning out of the door leading to the Vault. She looked exhausted as if she hadn't slept the night before. Her brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head and her clothes were rumpled and stained with a substance Jade couldn't identify. She shut the door behind her and trotted towards them. "I'm glad you're here," she breathed. "Andre and Clarence are waiting for us downstairs."

"Care to explain to me why I'm here first?" Jade barked impatiently. "Because I'm not headed into the Vault otherwise."

The Vault descended stories below Sanctum itself. It was a heavily secured and guarded compound where the Guardians housed their most dangerous weapons, potions, and spellbooks. It's also where they housed those they'd detained–Rogues or troublesome demons. It was, essentially, a tomb where the council buried their secrets. Jade wasn't about to allow herself to be buried.

Jade watched Aria's exhaustion harden, her gaze narrow. Within seconds, she was no longer a tired child in desperate need of a nap, but a lieutenant hell-bent on compliance. "I've respected your wishes to leave you be these past few months, Jade. But we have business to discuss. Downstairs. Now." She ordered dangerously.

Jade narrowed her eyes into a cold glare before turning her head stubbornly to the side. Without another word, she stomped towards the heavy wooden door at the end of the foyer. Apparently satisfied, Aria followed after her. She placed her hand in the center, over the Guardian seal, and permitted the enchantment to read her presence before pushing the door open. It swung open to reveal a grand set of stone stairs that led deep under the ground. The trio began their descent, Aria leading the way and Tori bringing up the rear. Cat remained in the foyer and, as Jade glanced back towards her, she flashed and encouraging smile before easing the door closed.

Jade had only been in the Vault once during her fifty-odd years of being a Guardian, and she didn't like it one bit. Because her abilities made it easy for her to escape whenever she pleased, she was rarely claustrophobic; but being here, underground, burdened by spells that rendered her powers useless, she felt extremely vulnerable. Even with Tori behind her pumping her with a weak amount of endorphins she still felt her anxiety climbing.

"Tori, did you handle any of the potions the necromancers were using?" Aria asked, breaking the tense silence.

"No… well, not that I know of."

"But during the fight, some vials were broken." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, Andre was kinda doing his berserker rampage thing to destroy their camp."

"So there's a chance you were exposed to whatever it was they were making," Aria pressed.

"Well… yeah, I guess there was." Jade felt a beat of palpable apprehension come from behind her. "What _were_ they making?" She asked nervously.

"We aren't sure yet."

"Is Andre in okay? Is Tori in danger?" Jade demanded.

"Andre's fine so far," Aria assured.

"Then what the hell are we doing here, Aria? Stop being so fucking cryptic," the older hybrid snapped.

Aria's whipped her head back and her eyes flashed dangerously. Electricity crackled at her fingertips. Jade could see the dragon's rage consuming her. "In here," she said dangerously. She pushed open an old iron door and gestured for them to enter. Inside they spied Andre sitting on a stool, apparently in no distress. A healer was examining him; hands hovered over him, emitting a blue aura as they moved methodically. He waved at them.

"Y'all said you'd bring me a pizza. I'm hungry, man," he reminded, rubbing his stomach.

"It's still in the oven. Give it a few more minutes," Aria assured.

"Aw, really? I wanted Howie's! That Cajun crust is the best." He frowned.

Aria shook her head before turning her attention to the healer. "Any progress?"

"Aria!" Jade bellowed. "I am _not_ a Guardian. Tori is. I can still storm out of here at any time, and I'm fucking about to if you don't tell me what it is the hell I'm doing here. Now," she demanded. Her eyes shimmered furiously, her glare rivaling the one Aria had given her a moment ago.

 _This_ is one of the reasons Jade had cut and run all those years ago. The council operated on a need-to-know basis with their Guardians, their warriors. And, unfortunately, they often decided their warriors didn't need to know very much and chose to treat them like obedient slaves.

"Since Andre came in contact with traces of the potion he's been hearing voices," Aria finally explained.

"Voices?" Tori asked.

"Whispers," Andre corrected, "And not Rocky's," he added, referencing his rock golem's soul.

"Whose? What are they saying?" Tori frowned.

"I can't really understand… There's a bunch of them." He shrugged.

"He knows he stepped in whatever they were concocting. That could explain why he's hearing these voices," Aria explained.

"So why don't you ask them?" Jade asked. "Or have you executed them already?" She accused.

Aria ignored the jibe. "They aren't talking, and our telepaths can't read them." Jade frowned; the Guardians had powerful mind readers in their ranks. It was difficult for other hybrids to deceive them. It should have been impossible for a few mortals who'd bought a spell book at a yard sale. Something about this didn't make sense.

"So what does this have to do with us? Tori's not hearing any voices." Jade looked at Tori for confirmation. The Latina nodded her head to affirm.

"Not yet. But it appears that even second-hand exposure to the potion's residue can trigger a similar delayed reaction," Aria explained.

"What do you mean?" Tori asked.

"I was the one who met with you and Andre when you returned from New Mexico. I shook both of your hands when you entered Sanctum and after our meeting." Suddenly the reason for her exhaustion became apparent. "I started hearing them yesterday morning, just hours after Andre."

She eased onto a stool next to Andre and rested her elbow on a wooden table. She propped her head up against her hand and sighed. "We don't know what spell caused it. We don't know who or what we're hearing. We don't know how contagious it is. And we don't know what it could do to mortals or us. That's why we called you back… and guessing physical contact is what transmits it, that's why we called both of you."

Jade blinked in disbelief and turned to Tori. "You're telling me you gave me a supernatural STD?" She balked.

"But neither of us have been hearing anything," Tori countered, turning back to Aria.

"Can you say for certain you didn't come into contact with the spilled potion or its fumes?"

Tori frowned and shook her head. "Then we need to watch you, _both_ of you, for the next few days until we figure this out. It could very well be a fluke. We just can't risk it."

"Just think of it like a campout," Andre suggested.

Jade was livid. "Oooh no. No," she refused adamantly. "You run any and every test you have to on me right now because I am _not_ hunkering down in this crypt tonight."

"It's not showing up on any test, Jade," Aria informed. "Not on Andre, not on me. We're working on it, but for the time being, we just have to wait. I'm sorry."

"Take me to those damn necromancers. I'll make them talk," she demanded.

Aria shook her head. "They've entered some unreachable meditative state. We can't get through to them. Telepaths can't read them. Maddie can't persuade them either."

"Let me try dread, then. Let Tori try her serotonin cocktail. Hell, give me a bat and ten minutes alone with them."

"Jade, this isn't up for debate. None of us can leave until we figure out what's going on. We've already set up a room for you and Tori."

"Nope. I'm out." Panic had quickly set in at the prospect of being, essentially, a prisoner. She uncrossed her arms and strode towards the door. Aria was prepared and moved surprisingly fast; she stood in front of the door and slapped her hand against it. It began to crackle and fizz with electricity.

"Despite what you think, Jade, you are still a guest here, not our prisoner. Consider your next actions carefully, as what you decide to do may change our opinion," she warned. The two women stared at each other. The hair on the back of Jade's neck rose as Aria intensified the energy she was emitting. She clenched her fist and narrowed her eyes. She had seen what her powers could do to Aria. It'd be easy to cripple her.

"Jade," Tori pleaded softly from behind her. She felt hands close gently around her fist and squeeze it. Surprisingly she felt no rush of positivity to smother her anger. She glanced back and found big brown doe eyes staring back at her, silently begging her to stand down. She understood why; if Tori had used her powers Jade would have considered it an act of manipulation. That had been the first promise they had made to each other: their powers were not used to persuade when it was clear one party was resisting.

The dark hybrid took a deep breath and exhaled raggedly. "If you haven't found anything in 24 hours, I _will_ be leaving despite what the council wishes," she promised, uncurling her fist.

"Thank you," Aria replied, removing her hand. "Let me show you to your room." She pulled open the door and nodded down the hallway, leading them deeper into the Vault. After a few twists and turns, they arrived in front of another heavy wooden door. "You can expect privacy. There is a kitchen on this level. Andre and I agreed to cook tonight if you wish to–"

Jade shoved the door open and slammed it behind her. Tori and Aria could hear the lock turn from inside.

"-join us," she finished, glancing over at Tori. "Do… you want me to set you up in another room?" she offered.

"No, I got this," The older hybrid sighed. "Just let me know what you find out as soon as you can."

Aria nodded and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Of course."

As she walked away Tori rested her head against the wooden frame. "Jade?" She called, knocking gently. She was met with silence. She retreated across the narrow hallway and slide down the stone wall. She had nothing better to do at this time but wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Jade clenched and unclenched her fists as she stalked back and forth in her room, well beyond the point in her anger that meditation could calm her. She felt like a feral animal trapped in a cage. Her anxiety had reached such an intense level that even Shade was beginning to stir, and his presence had been dull and dormant for weeks now.

 _You could easily escape if you gave into that temper of yours. If you really aren't a prisoner what's stopping you from storming up the stairs and right out the front door?_ He taunted.

"Shut up," Jade muttered, throwing herself down on the loveseat and crossing her arms.

Perhaps what made her even angrier, if it was possible, was the grandeur of this room. It could have been a presidential suite in a 5-star hotel, equipped with a small living room, where Jade was currently stewing, and a door that lead to a sleeping area with a massive bed. There were no windows, of course, but the room had been enchanted to replicate the weather outside, and magickal sunlight filled the room from an invisible source.

A luxurious prison, but a prison nonetheless.

She lost track of how much time she spent glaring at the wall. She could sense Tori outside, perhaps meditating on their situation as she waited for Jade to unlock the door. The pale girl ripped off her coat and drummed her fingers impatiently on her arm. She felt absolutely fine, and hadn't sensed anything off with Tori. From her conversation with Aria, she concluded that the healers couldn't detect any injury or malign energy from whatever jungle juice the necromancers had been making either. The Brotherhood was overreacting as usual. This time Jade had managed to find herself in the crossfire.

 _This is her fault, you know. See what cavorting with Guardians gets you?_

"Shut _up,_ " Jade repeated, rising to her feet. Her body was still tingling with rage. Her hands felt hot, and she was filled with the urge to punch something. She couldn't just sit in this room and dawdle like this. If she wanted out of here she was going to have to get answers. She made her way towards the door and placed her hand hesitantly on the latch; Tori wasn't going to like this one bit.

She pulled open the door and stood in the doorway, surprising the younger girl outside. "Hey," Tori ventured cautiously. Jade blinked at her, still sore about her landing them in this situation. "So I know you're not exactly happy with me–"

"Not exactly, no,"

"–and while I obviously had no way of knowing this would happen, I'm still sorry you ended up down here. But we could at least try to make the best of the situation. We could treat it like a private little getaway with no distractions, or–"

"Uh-huh," Jade hummed insincerely as she took a right and headed deeper down the hallway, intent on finding the necromancers.

"Hey, wait!" Tori scrambled to her feet and trotted after her. "Where are you going?"

"To wake those damn necromancers up and figure out what the hell they were up to," Jade explained as she continued her aimless trek.

"Jade, this place is basically endless. You aren't going to find it without someone showing you, and that's not going to happen," Tori frowned.

"Well I can't just sit here, Tori! How long have we been here? A few hours? I already feel like I'm going crazy." Jade threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"It's actually only been about forty-five minutes…" Tori corrected.

Jade groaned loudly and continued her warpath down the hallway. She heard Tori continue after her, though she trailed a few steps behind.

"Come on, let's do something else that won't make me face severe disciplinary action with the elders," she suggested. "We can go do that thing you like somewhere sacred instead?"

"While normally that would work, I'd much rather do that thing I like _not_ in a prison surrounded by telepaths," Jade replied stubbornly. She heard Tori sigh in defeat and eventually catch up with her stride. "Do you know where they put them?"

"No," the Latina shook her head, earning a suspicious glare from Jade. "I'm serious, no. I've only been down here recently to see Trina. She's, um, she's just up here on the right," she said quietly, gesturing towards an approaching door.

Jade's paced slow and she sighed reluctantly. "Just… do me a favor." She was still too consumed with rage, her demon too worked up for her to show the proper level of compassion that she knew this scenario must require. "I'm in full bitch mode. And as much as I really, truly love bitch mode, you don't need it right now. Can you…?" She extended a hand, palm up, in Tori's direction. It was not the first time she'd asked for an emotional anesthetic; in the weeks following the incident with Eris she often woke from nightmares, with Shade having crept into her subconscious and nettled her sanity and steadiness. It was during those nights she woke up practically foaming at the mouth that she'd turned to Tori, worried that he would gave enough momentum to free himself from his restraints.

Tori had, of course, complied, often holding Jade and stroking her hair in the darkness and speaking to her heart as Jade fought to regain stability, had whispered words of encouragement to rely on her own strength and not use Tori's as a crutch. As time passed Jade needed her less and less and, when enraged, was able to meditate to find peace, was able to identify where Shade was manipulating her and step away from his traps.

Today, however, in the Vault below Sanctum, Jade could not meditate. She was boiling inside, well beyond introspection's reach.

"Are you sure?" Tori looked at her hand skeptically. "I don't want to manipulate you if it's not really what you want."

"Oh, I still plan on searching for the necromancers. You can't dissuade me from that. But at least I won't be a grade-A asswipe to you while doing so," she assured.

Tori sighed and took her hand in her own, running her thumb over her knuckles gently before kissing them. Jade closed her eyes and exhaled as she visualized a warm light banishing the darkness from her body. Her muscles relaxed, her jaw unclenched, and her grip on Tori's hand became softer. Tori, sensing this, wrapped an arm around Jade's waist and placed the hand in her grasp on her shoulder. "Better?" She whispered hopefully.

"Better," Jade breathed, her pale eyes fluttering open and focusing on wounded girl in front of her. "You know I'm sorry, right?"

"I know," Tori nodded, though Jade could see clearly that knowing didn't erase the hurt. "It's not an ideal situation for me either, you know. I was looking forward to putting Guardian business aside for a few days and just being yours."

"In twenty-three hours and…" the older girl checked her phone, unsurprised to find she had no cell service underground, "…five minutes, that'll be the case."

"If they don't find anything," she reminded.

"They won't find anything because there's nothing to find. What kind of troubles could mortals really cause us? It's probably a fluke, a backfired enchantment," she reassured. "And I'll get them to admit that whenever I find them."

Tori sighed in resignation and released her grip on her lover. "Before we get lost in this labyrinth permanently can we please make a pit stop?" She looked towards Trina's door.

"Yeah," Jade agreed softly, "lets go see Trina."

* * *

Tori led Jade by the hand to Trina's chamber, her prison. The room was sparely decorated; when Eris was conscious she carped about it: the poor quality of the mattress, the sheets' low thread count, the lack of reading material. In truth, her complaining seemed akin to Trina's true nature anyway. Tori was met with silence today, as she had been for weeks now. Eris appear to lie peacefully in bed but, as Tori and the other telepaths had discovered, this was a just an illusion. The goddess raged under the surface, demanding to be released. Whenever Tori visited she channeled Lucia, using her spirit's advanced abilities to search for Trina's conscious through the storm. So far there was no luck. Eris had her hidden well.

"Hey, Trina," Tori greeted, taking her sister's hand in her own.

"Can she hear you?" Jade asked softly; she hung back near the door, apparently unsure as to whether or not she should venture closer.

"I don't know. I hope so." The hybrid shrugged. "I'm hoping it can help her find her way to the surface, or at least get close enough that we can find her." She dragged a chair to the bedside and tapped its seat, encouraging her companion to come sit.

"Are you sure that's okay? Eris might sense me."

"Only if you go probing. So… you know… don't."

Jade took a seat and shifted uncomfortably as she studied Trina. This was the first time, Tori realized, that she'd faced her since that night at Pandora. To Jade, this was Eris: her worst nightmare and the reason she'd been possessed not once, but twice, by the spirit she'd struggled against for a century. Tori could sense her nervousness and put her free hand on her shoulder to calm her. To her, this would always be her sister no matter what possessed her body. Yes, they argued. Yes, she was nearly intolerable. But there was a sacred bond between them. Tori was hoping that bond would be what would bring Trina back to her.

Tori released Jade's shoulder and smoothed the sheets across Trina's chest and fluffed the edges of her pillow. She was brushing the dark hair from her sister's face when she heard Jade mutter something behind her. "What was that?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder.

Jade perked an eyebrow and opened her mouth to reply when they both heard voices approaching the chamber door. "Is that Aria?" the pale girl whispered before she slinked out of her chair and tiptoed to the door. As the voices passed, she pulled the door open a fraction of an inch and peeked out. "Aria and Clarence," she confirmed.

"Clarence healed Andre and me after New Mexico. He's probably in quarantine too," Tori explained.

"Which means it's likely they're going to check on the necromancers, wouldn't you think?"

"We're going to follow them, aren't we?" Tori sighed. "Jade, if they catch us snooping–"

"They won't. Come on." She pulled the door open wider for her to slink through and continued down the hallway, leaving Tori to decide if she wanted to trail after her girlfriend and potentially keep her out of trouble, or sit with her comatose sister. Both were providing an equally charming type of company at this point.

"See you later, Trina." Tori kissed her on the forehead before trotting quietly after Jade. As she eased the door close she swore she heard her sister reply. She glanced back, brows furrowed, to find Trina still unresponsive. She must have tapped into her subconscious somehow, Tori guessed. It wouldn't have been the first time it had happened since she'd fallen into her enchanted sleep; usually when it happened it involved a lot of infuriated screaming that followed Tori around until she stepped out of range. Thankfully, it appeared, the goddess hadn't yet noticed her.

She moved with purpose to break the connection with Eris and catch up with Jade, who she spied darting around a corner a few yards ahead as she was pulling the door closed behind her. She followed her for a few yards, finally catching up to her a few turns later. Jade held out a hand as she approached, indicating that she move slowly and quietly. Her body was pressed against the wall, her head poked carefully around the corner.

"Third room on the right," she whispered. "They just went inside." She pushed away from the wall and began her approach, ear turned towards the door to attempt to hear what was happening behind it. Tori followed closely behind and nearly knocked Jade over when she stopped abruptly. She opened her mouth to complain when she herself realized what caused Jade to freeze in her tracks: the latch was turning.

"In here!" Tori hissed as she grabbed Jade by the back of her shirt and dragged her into the room across the hall. They managed to just ease the door almost shut before Aria and Clarence exited, carrying with them what Tori recognized through the thin gap to be a small leather-bound journal that she and Andre had recovered from one of the necromancers. "Okay… they're gone." She released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and glanced back at the older hybrid.

Jade stood rooted to the spot, staring in disbelief at the being before her. "Beck," she whispered.

Tori froze as well and she felt the heat drain from her body. "Beck?" She echoed.

"Jade." Beck was haggard and grey, his eyes sunken deeply into his face. He sat on the hard ground near his bed, huddled against the wall. "Jade, get me out of here," he pleaded.

"Beck," Jade repeated again softly and took a halfstep forward. "It's… You're alive?" Her voice was quaking. She knelt down in front of him and rested her hands on her knees as she studied him.

Beck's head dropped to his knees and his shoulders began to quake. Tori frowned; something wasn't right about this. She heard him emit a quiet whimper and, when he lifted his head again, she realized it was not tears but breathless laughter. "No, you idiot," he roared in amusement.

Tori watched in horror as Beck's face melted away and his skin greyed. Horns sprouted out of his temples and grew up over his head. Nails lengthened into vicious talons. "Etum," she heard Jade snarled as she pushed herself to her feet, hands clenched into angry fists.

"Stupid girl," the demon continued. "Beck!" He imitated, leaning his head back against the wall as he laughed. "Oh, Beck!"

Jade was on him in an instant. She grabbed him by the horns and used them to drive his face into her knee. He laughed through the assault until Tori managed to regain her senses and pull her off of him. Jade resisted and fought to free herself to renew her attack but the Latina held her firm and dragged her, literally kicking and spitting, from the room. She threw her out the door and slammed it behind them before throwing herself against it, spreading herself out in front of it to act as a barrier.

"I'll kill him," Jade snarled as she reached for the knob.

"Jade, no!" Tori argued, planting her feet to prevent the stronger girl from gaining entrance.

"Move, Tori!" she demanded angrily.

"No! Jade, you can't. You know you can't!" Tori resisted, grappling for Jade's hands in an effort to calm her down. She wrapped her hands around her balled fists and squeezed them tightly. "I'm sorry! I didn't know there was anyone in there. Just, please, settle down.

Jade was shaking, she realized, though from anger or distress she couldn't determine. Both stormed violently within her. She pulled the older girl into her arms despite her resistance and held her tight. "I'm sorry. He tricked me too, okay? I'm so sorry," she repeated. She rubbed her back and felt Jade relax after a moment as the shock wore off.

Without saying anything else she pulled away. Her eyes burned angrily as she stared at the door, but she eventually tore her gaze away and turned to face the threshold across the hall. "Lets just figure out what these fuckers were up to. I'm ready to get out of here," she muttered quietly. Tori noticed how she fought to keep her voice steady.

With on fluid movement she closed the distance and threw the door open and disappeared inside. With a heavy sigh Tori composed herself and followed after, closing the door behind them to insure a few moments of privacy with the prisoners.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jade," Tori hissed cautiously as her eyes adjusted in the dim light. This room was unlike the others'; it was without the luxuries provided to Trina or even Etum. Two necromancers sat suspended a few feet off the ground, by their own means or by a Brotherhood enchantment Tori wasn't sure. They were enclosed within a crystal prison, though it didn't appear to be necessary. Both men were still, their eyes closed and their hands resting on their crossed legs. A meditative trance or passive resistance? Regardless neither flinched nor acknowledged their sudden presence in any way.

Tori felt immediately uneasy. As an empath, her powers were constantly probing those around her. Even when she suppressed her abilities they were always sensing, sensitive to the soft whispers of emotions from those nearby. A constant dull roar had accompanied her existence for the past century. This was not the first time she'd met individuals capable of stifling their emotions—Jade was a master of it—but no camouflage was ever perfect.

Until now.

The necromancers before her might as well have been part of cold stone foundation. If she had closed her eyes she wouldn't have been able to sense them whatsoever. They were unreadable.

Jade appeared to have sensed it as well; Tori felt a brief spike of confusion pulse from the girl ahead of her.

"Hey, fuckers," Jade barked, snapping her fingers in their direction. Tori shifted uneasily as the pale girl stepped closer to the barrier, toeing the line with the tip of her boot. She was met with silence, which only encouraged her rampage. "Hey!" She crossed her arms and paced impatiently in front of them. "They're human?" She glanced back at Tori.

"We thought so, but I've never known any mortals able to block out any empath," Tori explained with a slight nod.

Jade huffed and returned her attention to the men before her. "They haven't been using the right tactics. Feel like giving me some help?" She extended her hand, palm up, towards Tori and wagged her fingers. She wanted to use their signature move: the sudden and simultaneous waves of positive and negative emotions. It easily overwhelmed humans and sent them into frenzy.

"Jade," Tori began softly. "Your powers don't work down here… remember?" She reminded carefully. She watched Jade blink as realization dawned on her. Down here she was, essentially, mortal.

"Can you still channel?"

Tori frowned. As an empath she could act as a conduit and project others' emotions with hers, but she'd never done so with Jade. She didn't like the aspect of mashing Lucia and Shade together; it made her nervous to consider sharing a mind with two very ancient, very powerful, and very opposing spirits. She considered declining, considered pleading with Jade to just abandon this venture and return to their room. One glance into those piercing blue eyes told her that those requests would fall on deaf ears.

"You won't let us leave if we don't, will you?" Tori sighed in defeat. She took the hybrid's hand in her own and stepped forward, squeezing it for reassurance. "I don't think it's going to work," she frowned, mentally shielding herself as she felt Jade open the floodgates. She was nearly unprepared for such a sudden release; the dark hybrid wasn't playing around. After a beat, Tori joined in, blasting the two mortals in front of her with a powerful wave of conflicting emotions.

Much as she suspected, though she was oblivious as to why, neither man flinched. She felt Jade ramping up her empathy and followed suit, concentrating firmly until she felt a thin film of sweat form on her forehead. She exhaled heavily and shifted her gaze to her girlfriend to find she was struggling as well. Her brows were furrowed and nostrils flared angrily; she was throwing everything she had at the humans to no avail. "Jade," Tori breathed, squeezing the pale girl's hand to break her concentration.

"What _are_ they? Humans can't do this," She snarled in frustration, dropping Tori's hand. In one fluid motion she stepped forward, crossing the magical barrier and grabbing one of them tightly by the shoulders.

"Jade!" Tori reached forward and grabbed her by the back of her shirt. "You can't—"

" _Your efforts are pathetic_."

Both girls froze. Jade released the man in her grip as if he'd electrocuted her and allowed Tori to drag her back across the barrier. "Who said that?" Jade demanded. Neither man had moved, and the voice that reverberated through the room didn't sound human.

" _We are coming. You will not stop us._ " The voice insured, louder this time. The men opened their eyes to reveal inky black pools. There was no sign of humanity in them. And neither had opened their mouths yet.

"What the fuck?" Jade demanded.

" _Humanity's reign is over_." The men unfolded their legs to stand on their on two feet. They stepped towards the barrier and it crackled in protest at their approach. Tori tightened her grip on the back of Jade's shirt anxiously. This was big. Very big.

The captives placed their hands against the invisible wall of energy; green electricity snapped and sizzled against their palms. " _We are coming_." The voice repeated. The men opened their mouth and began chanting in a language Tori couldn't identify.

"They were doing this when we found them," she muttered, pulling Jade backwards towards the door. "We need to leave. We need to get Aria."

"We're just getting somewhere with them!" Jade protested adamantly, yanking her shirt away. "Who's coming? Tell me!" She demanded over the chanting.

They ignored her and continued their recitation. The crackling intensified as they pressed harder against the barrier when, suddenly, a blaze of light filled the room. The crystals exploded and shot shrapnel through the air, freeing them. Unimpeded, they stepped forward towards the hybrids, who quickly backed towards the exit.

"Can we go now?" Tori pleaded as she pawed at the latch behind her.

"Go. Go!" Jade agreed as Tori threw the door open. The dark hybrid danced out from their reach and back into the hallway seconds before Tori slammed the heavy door shut behind her, turning the lock. They could hear pounding on the other side. Jade leaned against the opposite wall and ran her hands through her hair to try and calm herself. "What the fuck was that about?"

Tori, frazzled, shrugged her shoulders as she tried to process. Before she could form a response, Aria and Andre barreled around the corner. Aria had flour smeared across her brow and Andre brandished a spatula; they'd clearly been in the middle of preparing dinner.

"You heard the voice?" The elder demanded breathlessly as she turned her attention to the hammering at the door.

" _You_ heard the voice?" Tori countered. The kitchen was on the other side of the Vault, and she wouldn't have thought sounds of the disturbance would have drifted that far.

"It was up here, man." Andre tapped his temple with his free hand.

Telepathy would explain why neither man had opened their mouths. But it still didn't answer the pressing question. "Who's coming?" Tori asked, brows furrowed as she stared at the door.

Aria ignored her. "What's going on in there?" She reached for the latch when Jade grabbed her arm.

"Don't. They broke the barrier," Jade advised, pulling her clear of the door just in case they managed to destroy the heavy, ancient lock.

"You were in there?" Aria's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you do?"

"Nothing you shouldn't have done in the first place. At least I moved this party along," Jade replied defensively, crossing her arms.

"You let her in there?" Aria turned her tirade to Tori. "We don't know anything about them, Tori. You put both of yourselves at risk to satisfy her tantrum?"

"Tori doesn't _let_ me do anything, Sparky," Jade retorted. "It's not like she didn't try to talk me out of it."

"Then why don't you _listen_?" Aria snapped. "This is an unprecedented situation," she gestured towards the door. "They're clearly possessed by something we can't identify and you freed them—"

"They freed themselves!" Jade's pale eyes shimmered angrily as she stepped towards Aria, daring her to speak again.

"Only after _your_ interference!" Aria closed the distance between them and glared down at the older hybrid.

"I wouldn't have interfered if you didn't lock me down here with them!"

"Guys, guys!" Tori wedged herself between Aria and Jade, forcing them back to their proverbial corners. "Is this really the issue we should be focusing on at this moment?" She kept her hand on Aria's forearm and carefully secreted endorphins in her direction; she needed to dissolve this conflict. Hopefully calming Aria would be enough for the time being; she couldn't risk this trick on Jade. She knew the other empath would sense her efforts and resist. "Someone's coming," she reminded them.

"We need to secure this door. Andre, go. Get the enchanters on this." She nodded down the hallway and Andre handed her the spatula before turning on his heel and retreating towards the Vault's exit. "I hope this holds." She squared her jaw and stared at the door. The banging was beginning to subside, as if the captives inside were beginning to tire.

"They didn't seem to have any problem shattering your force field. I don't see why this would stop them," Jade commented.

She had a point, Tori realized. The door was heavy, yes, and locked. But it was only a physical barrier, not a magickal one. "Maybe they don't want out," she guessed.

"Sounds like they do," Jade countered.

"No… I think if they wanted out they would be. We wouldn't have gotten them here at all if they didn't want to be," the Latina frowned. "We used the same enchantments in New Mexico. Why wait until now to break our spells if they didn't want to be here in the first place?" She reasoned. "What… what if whoever's coming wanted them to be here? What if they're just messing with us right now?"

Both women stared at her, processing her words.

"What are you keeping down here that they might want?" Jade asked suspiciously.

Aria stared at her, through her, Tori realized, as she thought. "We need to secure the Vault. Not just this door. All of them. We can't risk them getting out and releasing the prisoners."

"That didn't answer my question, Aria," Jade pressed as the elder started down the corridor.

"I don't know, Jade," Aria huffed. "I don't know who's coming. I don't know what they could want. The Vault is huge. You know this. We have prisoners. We have spell books. We have magickal…shit. A lot of it. Talismans. Cursed objects. Enchanted objects. Weapons. Powerful prisoners like Eris." She glanced at Tori. "We can't know yet, so we need to lock it all up now."

"Why don't you just do everyone a favor and kill them?" Jade scowled. "They're clearly possessed. If they aren't going to cooperate just nip the whole problem in the bud and save us all the inevitable trouble?"

"Jade," Tori chastised. She knew the older hybrid was frustrated and taking it out on those available but, at the end of the day, they were still mortals. Victims of whatever they'd been possessed by.

"Look! The longer you let this unfold the more likely I'm going to become deeply involved. I'm not a Guardian anymore, guys. Rogue. Right here." She planted her feet and gestured to herself. "The last time I got wrapped up in one of your missions it nearly cost me my soul, or did you both forget already?" Her gaze bored a hole through Tori's head and the empath winced. Jade didn't need her powers to shake her, not when she was this angry.

"We hear you, Jade, Rogue! But right now you don't have a choice!" Aria snapped. Tori sighed; all her good vibes had dissipated. "You're here. You're one of the few of us hearing the voices. Whether you like it or not you're a Guardian right now until we figure this out, and then you can go."

"I've heard that one before," Jade rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Bitch and moan all you want, West. As long as you're with Tori there's always a risk of this happening. So I guess which really matters more to you: her, or your detestation of us?" Aria's outburst left them both speechless. "So do me a favor and think about that and just shut up so I can think. Sound good?"

Jade's jaw dropped as the elder stormed past. For the first time in recent memory it would appear someone had shocked the brash hybrid into silence. Tori reached for her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, herself unsure what to say to ease the tension.

"Victoria!" Aria barked from down the corridor.

"I… I'm part of this, Jade. I'm sorry." She dropped her head and stepped past her after Aria, leaving her girlfriend fuming in the hallway.


	5. Chapter 5

Jade's hands and face felt hot as she watched Tori retreat. She clenched and unclenched her fists as she felt the urge to punch something build within her. She spun on her heel and headed the opposite direction towards their room with every intention to shatter all the lofty niceties held within. "Fucking Guardians," she snarled to herself.

"You're telling me."

Jade froze.

The voice wasn't telepathic; it had come from behind her, she was sure of it.

"Who's there?" She demanded.

"Forgotten my voice already, Jade? What a shame," the voice teased. Jade furrowed her brows and scanned the hallway, suddenly realizing the source of the disturbance. "I think it's time we had a visit, don't you?"

Jade carefully approached a nearby door. She stood on her tiptoes and pried open the Judas hole to peer inside. "Eris," she scowled. The goddess was sitting up in her bed, staring in amusement towards the door. "Why are you awake? You're supposed to be in coma, Sleeping Beauty."

"Don't flatter me. They won't bring me any makeup down here. I look like a crone," she huffed in frustration as she smoothed her bedhead. "And how could I sleep with all that screaming and ominous threats?"

"Wait." Jade planted her hands on either side of the window and narrowed her gaze. "You heard the voice too?"

"Uh, duh. Oh, Jade, don't you miss the days when I was the worst you had to deal with?" She taunted.

"What do you mean?" She paused for a beat. "Do you know who that is?"

Eris leaned forward and a broad smile split across her face. "You don't?"

"Cut the shit, Eris. What do you know?"

"Come in, Jade. Sit a spell with auntie Eris."

She placed a clammy hand on the latch and hesitated. The goddess before her had nearly caused her ruin on multiple occasions. She was weakened, yes, but Jade was powerless down here. She was at risk if she stepped through the door; it wasn't a decision she would make lightly. "Don't waste my time," she warned.

"Do you really have anything better to do here? I heard you yelling with that surly one. Sounds like you're practically a prisoner yourself right now. Maybe I could give you a little information that would interest them to give you a little leverage."

"What's in it for you?" Jade asked suspiciously.

"I get to talk to someone who doesn't make me want to slam my head in a car door."

Jade narrowed her eyes. "Eris," she muttered a warning.

"Ugh," she scowled. "I'm not going to release Shade. I won't snap your neck. Et cetera, et cetera." She waved her hand impatiently.

"Go back on that and I'll make sure they take all the mirrors out of there," Jade promised as she turned the latch, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

"Welcome to my hell," Eris smiled and gestured to the chair Tori had been sitting in just moments prior. "Take a seat."

"I'll stand, thanks," Jade replied coolly as she leaned against the door. She kept her hand on the knob in case she needed to make a quick escape.

"Calm down. You're behind a barrier," Eris rolled her eyes and nodded towards the stones a few feet from her bed. "And I'm powerless down here anyway." She smiled as Jade released the door and stepped forward, cautiously toeing the line. "So, what's the gossip? What're the Kardashians up to these days?"

Jade blinked at her. "No clue. You're a deity and you're concerned about reality TV?"

Eris raised a brow and snorted. "You're kidding, right? So much drama and I don't have to lift a finger. As far as I'm concerned they're doing my work… and they may be better servants to chaos than you were," she teased.

Jade rolled her eyes and shifted her weight impatiently. "Do you want to tell me what you know and stop wasting my time?"

"In a moment—oh, wait, come back!" Eris called as Jade spun to leave. "We'll play the question game. You answer mine, I'll answer yours. Me first."

Jade sighed. "Fine."

"Have you found Mercy yet?"

"No." Jade tilted her head curiously. "Any tips on where we might be able to find him?"

"I'm afraid not. He was certainly useful, but even I didn't trust him. He's not a very loyal man when push comes to shove, is he? I'm not surprised he ran as soon as things got a little touchy."

"All right. In that case, what about the voices? What do you know about those?"

"Nope. You just had your turn. You wasted it on Mercy. My turn again. What are they planning on doing with me exactly?"

"You're kidding, right?" Jade snorted. "Exorcise you. Send you back to the Void. Get Trina back."

"Well, that's positively boring." Eris rose from her bed and Jade stepped back cautiously. "Oh, please." She rolled her eyes as she made her way to the mirror on the opposite wall. "And probably impossible. No one's split souls before, and this one's been under my control for a century now. Fat chance." She brushed through her chestnut locks in an effort to style them.

"I can't imagine you're very happy in this realm. Not with limited powers and a noticeable lack of minions to fawn over you," Jade countered.

"You'd be surprised what I got away with on my own and without any of you noticing." Eris winked at her in the mirror. "I spent the 30s and 40s in Germany, for instance, and had plenty of fun." Her smile broadened.

"Eris." Jade's brows furrowed.

"You probably would have known me as Eva at that point."

Jade stared at her in disbelief. "You were responsible for World War II?"

"Hard to say. Humanity was heading that direction, certainly. I like to think I gave it a little nudge in the right direction. My turn!" Her eyes flashed mischievously.

Jade groaned inwardly; she had to pick her words more carefully or this game would continue all night.

"What do you see in Lotus-Petal anyway? Be honest—I'm clearly the more attractive sister."

"That's it. I don't care what you know. Done. Out." Jade turned to leave.

"I heard your conversation with the Guardian!" Eris called to her retreating form. "You have to admit, you picked the wrong sister to have a good time with. It's a shame I hadn't found you before you fell in with the Lotus-Petal,"

"Tori," Jade corrected with a huff.

"Tori," Eris acquiesced. "Clearly, though. She's Light. You're Dark. More so, half of who you are was mine in a past life. You know you and I would have had much more fun together." The goddess approached the barrier and placed her hands on her hips as she surveyed the hybrid. "Shade and I razed cities to the ground back in the day, you know. He truly was my favorite general."

Jade felt Shade stir with glee at his mistress' commendation. She blinked in disbelief. "So you and the monster in my head used to be BFFs. Great. You may have ascertained that he and I aren't exactly on the best of terms, especially since he sent me on a murdering rampage a few months ago. So you'll forgive me if I won't indulge your desire to reminisce about the good old days."

Eris pouted, and something about her reminded Jade of a cat toying with her food. The last time they had been this close Jade had bashed her in the face with a baseball bat. Without the pressure of a looming apocalypse, Jade was able to get a better look at the goddess possessing her girlfriend's sister. They certainly favored one another; same skin, same cheekbones… same eyes. Though there was definitely a hint of crazy in Eris'.

"If only I had found you sooner," she tutted. "I bet I could have persuaded you to give in to your darker tendencies."

"You seem pretty confident there." Jade raised her brow in disbelief.

"Well I _am_ pretty confident that Lotus-Petal must be a pretty good lay if you keep her around despite the company she keeps. Want to give this body a spin and see how it competes? If it's comparable you and I could just take off, kiss the Guardians goodbye, give in to our natural chaotic tendencies," she smirked.

Jade stepped forward angrily, disregarding the barrier and stepping within mere inches of Eris to glare down at the weakened hybrid. "Remember, Eris, you have no powers down here and the _only_ reason you're still alive is because the Brotherhood thinks you have valuable information to offer in exchange for it. I'm not even sure you do so, for your own benefit, don't…test…me," she threatened.

"Remember, _Jade_ ," Eris countered, "the only reason you're still alive is because Lotus-Petal vouched for you. Do you really think she'd still be on your side if you beat her sister to a bloody pulp?" She cocked a brow as Jade noticeably clenched and unclenched her fist. "It would appear I still have some power down here after all, wouldn't it?" She teased, bopping her lightly on the nose.

The blow came so suddenly Eris had no time to deflect it. Jade's fist connected with her left cheekbone and the shorter girl crumpled instantly. She groaned and clutched her face as Jade hissed and shook her hand out. Damn those cheekbones. It felt like a blade against her knuckles. She flexed her fingers to work out the pain as she retreated back across the barrier before Eris could recover. Deep within her, Shade roared unhappily. "It would appear that I have a little more power than you down here, wouldn't it?" She taunted, noting with pleasure the purple knot that was beginning to swell on the goddess' face. "Now do you have actual information for me or can we wrap it up here? I need some ice for my hand."

She watched as Eris pushed herself to her feet, swaying slightly as she reoriented herself. Powerless or not she remained proud; her eyes blazed angrily as she bowed up to the barrier. "After that? Forget it."

Jade huffed and ripped the door open angrily. "But I promise you," she paused for a moment and glanced over her shoulder expectantly. "It's far, far worse than you can imagine."

Somehow Jade exited Eris' room feeling worse than she did before she entered. She stalked down the hallway, cradling her throbbing hand against her chest and ripping photos and paintings off the wall with her free one. Livid was an understatement.

How did she find herself here again? The decades she'd spent on the run had been stressful, yes, but not infuriating. The second she'd tumbled back into the Guardians' clutches she'd found herself frustrated. Frustrated with tradition, with bureaucracy, and with the self-righteous, pompous Light hybrids. As much as she hated Eris, she could see how they could be more compatible than her current affiliation. If the goddess wasn't bent on world domination and releasing her inner demon maybe, just maybe, they'd be friends. Or something.

"Don't go down that street, Jade," she muttered to herself in defeat. She pinched the bridge of her nose and focused on her breathing as she continued her path down the hallway. She knew the fact that she was even considering a different life with the other Vega sister meant that she needed a cigarette, a stiff drink, and some meditation to center herself. Possessed as she may be by an evil soul, she knew somewhere, deep inside, she was good. That's why she would always choose Tori over Eris.

And that's why she was on her way to find Tori and smug Aria. It was clear Eris knew something and, while she may not be able to engage with the goddess without punching her in the face, maybe the Light hybrids would have better luck. If nothing else, Tori would be pleased to know Eris was awake.

Though her powers were stunted down here she was still able to find her way easily to Tori due to their bond. She navigated the Vault's maze with ease until voices, real voices, began to pierce the silence. She slowed her pace and lightened her step as she approached to eavesdrop before dropping in.

"…the next step is locking the Vault down in its entirety. Only Light hybrids may enter and exit." Jade narrowed her eyes angrily. Aria. So much for not being a prisoner.

"You'll be trapping Jade down here. If you thought she was mad before—" Tori, thankfully, was pleading her case.

"Then you'll be babysitting her and pumping her full of endorphins so she doesn't get in our way." Ah, wonderful. Maddie was present.

"Look, even I'll admit that Jade's a wild card sometimes, but locking her down here because you're afraid to trust her is wrong. She saved all of us a few months ago because she didn't play by your—our—rules. You can't deny that she's powerful, and you know she's going to come through for us in the end if you don't screw her over now," Tori countered, her sincerity and confidence surprising even Jade.

"We don't know that," Maddie scowled.

" _I_ know that. So I encourage you to do the right thing by both of us. Don't lock her down here. Let her work through this with us," Tori implored.

Jade listened anxiously for their reply, inching closer to the gap at the door so she might hear better. "We'll…consider it," Aria sighed. "But Jade isn't the point of this meeting, understood?" A murmur of agreement floated around the table.

From her position, Jade could just make out Tori at the table. She rested her head against her fingertips as she slouched down in her chair, clearly frustrated. The older hybrid wondered if she was beginning to understand her constant exasperation with the council now. She also hoped being essentially forced to be a mediator between Rogue and Guardians wasn't making her reconsider their relationship.

If nothing else, Jade sighed in realization, she could make things easier for the both of them, as loathe as she was to do so. "Right," the pale girl interrupted as she pushed the door open wide. "The point of this meeting is the big bad incorporeal voice, right?"

"Jade—" Aria began.

"Oh, don't worry. I heard all of that. If you lock me down here I'll burn this place to the ground. Be sure of it. _But,_ " she flashed her eyes gratefully in Tori's direction. "I'm going to give you a reason to not screw me over."

"Well… what is it?" Maddie demanded impatiently.

"Eris is awake. She heard the voice too. She knows something." Tori was already on her feet before Jade had even finished and was making her way towards the door. "She wouldn't tell me anything but some of you may have better luck." She stepped aside as Tori disappeared around the corner; she paused only briefly to squeeze Jade's hand in reassurance.

"I'm assuming you stopped in to visit Eris as well, then?" Aria inquired. "Are you just making a point to disturb all of our prisoners?" She pushed herself out of her chair and made a move to follow Tori's exit.

"Well, it's not like you have Wi-Fi down here to keep me entertained. What else would you have me do?"

"I'm assuming she's safely detained behind the crystalline barrier?"

"Yes, yes, she's fine. Oh," Jade paused, flexing her injured hand. "You… you might want to bring her some ice."

"Ice?"

"For her face," Jade explained. "Because I punched it."

"Jade," Aria sighed, shaking her head as she disappeared down the hallway.

"Baby steps, Sparky, I'm making baby steps!"


	6. Chapter 6

Jade rounded the corner to spy the door to Eris' room ajar, Aria standing in the doorway. She had been delayed, having made a pit stop in the kitchen for an icepack for her knuckles. She slowed her pace as she approached; she could hear a commotion coming from within the goddess' room. Aria extended her hand as she neared to prevent her from entering. "She's understandably pissed. At you," she explained sternly as Jade sidled up next to her to peek inside.

"Oh, please," Jade scoffed, shouldering past the elder and pushing the door open wide. "Is the all-powerful goddess complaining about a sucker punch from a miserable hybrid?" Inside, Eris was perched on the edge of her bed. The knot on her cheek was swollen, angry and purple from her recent thrashing. She whipped her head in Jade's direction and narrowed her eyes dangerously. Jade smirked.

Tori stood, clearly frazzled and arms crossed, against the wall next to the door. Her was etched with concern, her gaze locked on the goddess possessing her sister. "Here's some ice, Adonis, it'll help the swelling." Jade tossed her the icepack, which she caught midair.

"So smug, Jade. I encourage you to cross this line again. I have no powers, but I have eons of experience torturing mortals the good old-fashioned way." She held the pack to her face and turned her smoldering glare to Tori. "I don't know what you see in her, really."

"Jade says you may have an idea of what we're dealing with, Eris," Aria interrupted from the doorway.

"No. Not you. Out," Eris commanded with a dismissive wave of her hand.

The elder threw her hands up in frustration and retreated back a few steps. "She said she won't speak if I'm in the room," she explained with a huff as Jade looked to her questioningly.

"It's excruciating enough to have to speak to these two, and you're even more intolerable. If it's possible." She shot a brief, withering glance in Tori's direction before refocusing her attention on Aria. "Make yourself useful. Go get me a Diet Coke."

"Maybe after you tell us something useful," Aria replied.

"If you want me to tell you anything at all I'll need a Diet Coke. I'm very parched after my assault." She rubbed her throat dramatically.

The elder sighed heavily and begrudgingly did as she was told. The three of them could hear her stomping down the hallway. "So dramatic," Eris smirked.

"You're one to talk," Jade commented.

"Says the girl who just violently attacked me," Eris snapped.

"I barely touched you!"

"Does this look like barely to you?" The goddess yanked the icepack from her face and jabbed at her cheek.

"Will you both calm down? You're both dramatic!" Tori barked.

Jade flinched at the anger in her voice; it was rare to hear it, even rarer to hear it directed at her. Eris seemed to take note. "Oh, please. You share your soul with a millennia-old demon. This pair of doe eyes has you whipped?" She could feel her cheeks darkening in humiliation as she was teased. She opened her mouth to reply only to be stopped by those doe eyes burning a hole through the side of her head.

"We're all over a century old. Could we please act like it?" The youngest hybrid chided. Jade sighed in agreement; Eris rolled her eyes to the ceiling but remained silent. "Thank you. Tr-Eris," she slipped, "how are you awake?"

"As effective as that sleeping charm was, it didn't quite block out all the telepathic screaming. 'We are coming. Apocalypse. Humanity's reign is over.' Blah, blah, blah. You know, being on the receiving end of it makes me realize how corny the whole 'the end is nigh' speech is. Noted. Won't put in the effort next time," Eris explained. She crossed her legs and reclined back on the bed.

"And you know who was speaking?" Tori pushed, disregarding her last comment.

Eris winked. "I have an idea. But I'm not giving up a bargaining chip this big without something in return."

"She's lying, Tori. It's _Eris_. You know she's lying," Jade argued with a slight shake of her head.

"Am I, though? Or am I your first and, lets be honest, only lead?" She smirked.

"We haven't gone through their things yet. Their spellbook," Tori countered.

"How long have they been here, exactly? Why haven't the elders buried their greasy noses in it yet? My guess is that they can't." She was met with both Tori and Jade's blank stare in response and released a frustrating groan. "You're too low on the totem pole to know and… gods, you're not on the totem pole at all. Is one of the greasy elders standing out in the hallway?" She called.

Aria appeared in the doorway, clearly having been eavesdropping. Her cheeks were pink and her hair disheveled; she'd clearly sprinted to the kitchen and back so she might catch more of the conversation. "Where's my soda?" She wordlessly stepped between Tori and Jade and offered the bottle to her. "Thank you," she singsonged as she cracked the seal and took a sip. "Now. I hear you have a spellbook. How's that going for you?"

"Well enough," Aria replied stiffly.

"Liar. You can't translate it, can you?" Eris teased.

"We're…working on it."

"It'll be over by the time you butcher the first sentence. Bring it to me," she demanded.

Aria scoffed. "In what world would we permit you access to such delicate materials?"

"Uh, this one. If you want to keep it. Isn't that your whole agenda?" The elder crossed her arms stubbornly. "Hello? Ancient goddess? Saw the birth and death of civilizations and languages that didn't make the history books? This is me calling your bluff. Book. Now. Chop chop." She snapped her fingers impatiently.

All eyes were on Aria as the seconds passed with escalating gravity. "Fine," she finally sighed. Jade watched with mild amusement as she exited without another word. Eris was intolerable, but it did give her some joy to watch her treat the council like her errand boys.

"How many of those civilizations did you ruin personally?" Tori asked.

Jade studied her silently. She hadn't seen this Tori since the incident at Pandora. When she was around Eris, a conscious Eris, at least, she held herself in an entirely different manner. She treated the goddess like a dangerous disease; she never exposed herself to risk danger, never laid her usual compassion and understanding on the table as tools for negotiation. Cold, hard, sterile. Three words Jade had never been able to attribute to Tori embodied her entirely at this moment.

"Only a handful," Eris grinned.

"Why are you offering to help?" Jade finally spoke up. Amusement aside, it didn't escape her that Eris had no reason to assist them. No reason they could detect yet, anyway.

Eris' brows twitched. "For my love of humanity, of course."

"Eris," Tori snapped impatiently, "what do you want?"

"This world, obviously. Do you remember the whole apocalypse effort a few months ago?"

"You know that's not going to happen. If they can't exorcise you then you'll be down here until… gods, will you ever die?" Jade countered.

"I don't know," Eris replied truthfully, as if the idea hadn't yet occurred to her. She shrugged her shoulders. "And this is assuming that I won't escape at some point… which, I guarantee, I will. Maybe by killing a guard. Or seducing one," she winked again, this time in Jade's direction.

Jade, in response, stepped closer to the younger Latina, as if subconsciously reminding the three of them who was with whom. "Stop making my girlfriend uncomfortable," Tori ordered before throwing an appreciative glance in Jade's direction.

"Aw, but, Tori. We're sisters. We share everything," Eris pouted mischievously. "Can't we share her too?"

" _Eris_!" Tori snapped. "Jade's right. You're never leaving this room. Why are you offering to help save a world you'll never see again?"

"You're an idiot," Eris sighed and took another swig of her drink. "If you're going to keep looking this gift horse in the mouth I have no problem taking it back. Enjoy your apocalypse." She waved them away dismissively and reclined on a stack of pillows. "Piss off."

Aria appeared breathlessly in the door at that moment, book in hand. "Are you kidding me?" She puffed in frustration. "I was gone for two minutes and you pissed her off already?"

"They decided my input wasn't valuable enough. Good luck in your efforts, Guardians. And whatever you are, Jade," the goddess chided.

"Both of you. Out here. Now," Aria ordered, gesturing to the hallway.

"But—" Tori began.

"Now!"

Tori exited without another word and Jade followed, pulling the door closed behind her. "Wait!" Eris called. The pale girl looked back expectantly, hand on the knob. "Can I get some vodka for this soda?"

"I don't care if she is a goddess, I'm going to kill her." Jade seethed as they shut the door to their own (hopefully) temporary room.

"Jade," Tori muttered. Jade could hear the exhaustion in her voice as she lowered herself onto the loveseat.

"Yes, Jade," Aria reiterated.

"You both know she's up to something!" She countered defensively. "Eris doesn't _help_ out of the goodness of her heart."

"The council will have no problem striking a reasonable bargain with her if it means she will help," admitted Aria.

"She's right, then. You can't read the text," Tori guessed.

The elder sighed and eased down onto the foot of the bed. "It doesn't match any of the languages in our codex. Even our Guardians in direct communication with their souls don't recognize it. It's seriously ancient. We need Eris' help."

"Why should we even trust her?" Jade argued.

"It's clear she wants something," Tori suggested. "Why else would she rescind her offer instead of just lying to our faces about what's in the text?"

"Because she's _evil_." Blue eyes stared dumbly at Tori.

"Some here would argue that about you as well, Jade," Aria reminded.

Her gaze shifted and hardened at the elder's comment. "Yeah, the stupid ones. She's actually evil. An evil goddess. Eris comma goddess of chaos. Look her up."

"Regardless," The Latina interrupted, "she's not stupid. She knows what's up and it's concerned her enough to make her consider working with us for now."

"At a cost she hasn't informed us of yet, though. What if there's some ancient spell in that book that'll turn us all into frogs? Are you really willing to put that into her hands? She could turn all the Guardians into frogs, escape, and get back on her merry way to world domination," Jade pressed.

"Frogs?" Aria perked her brow skeptically.

"Obviously not frogs. I was illustrating my point," Jade sighed. She followed Tori's suit and flopped down on the loveseat ungraciously and crossed her arms. "I don't think it's a good idea. Kill the necromancers. Call it a day. Problem solved."

"We're not killing anyone," Aria disagreed firmly. "I don't trust her either, Jade, none of us do. But Tori's got a point. She knows something. Maybe we could work out a bargain."

The three settled into an uncomfortable silence; Jade, defeated, watched the seconds tick by on the clock above Aria's head. "I should discuss this with the others. I'm going to round them all up again. I'll come for you when we've reached an agreement," the elder muttered after a moment. Tori nodded and Jade grunted in response, and Aria made her way from the room and pulled the door closed gently behind her.

Jade leaned her elbow on the armrest and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was getting a stress headache. "I can't believe you punched my sister in the face," she heard Tori sigh in exasperation.

"Yes, you can," Jade responded, closing her eyes. "I hit her in the face with a bat the last time I saw her." She felt the couch bounce as Tori repositioned herself, draping her legs across Jade's lap and laying her head on the opposite armrest. "I don't like this, Tor, she's not safe."

"I know. I'm sorry," the younger girl muttered softly. "I'm sorry I dragged you into more Guardian business," she added after a moment.

"Stop. You didn't." Jade looked at her to find her staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Aria's right, you know. If you stick with me this might happen again. We're always on apocalypse duty."

"Then I'll decide when I've had enough of it. Don't give yourself too much credit, Vega," Jade forced a smile to try and cheer her up. "I could have left you in New York hopelessly lost months ago and I could have dropped you off here and teleported to a beach somewhere. I stuck around because I part of me obviously wanted to," she promised.

"Well, you're not exactly acting like it," Tori countered.

"I didn't say a big part of me wanted to." She rubbed the younger girl's legs encouragingly. "Look. I hate this place. I hate bureaucracy. I hate secrets unless I'm the one keeping them. And I hate the whole team-spirit-all-for-one-one-for-all vibe they force on you while having no problem throwing you under a bus. That's why I left the Guardians. I didn't necessarily want to leave you."

"Yes, you did. You hated me," Tori argued. Jade could hear the tightness in her voice.

"Okay, yes. I hated you. But I hated everything back then except for like... Beck. That was part of it too, Tori. I don't have Tinkerbell in my head cheering me on. I've got the boogey man. Every day was a fight for my sanity, and it didn't help that the council didn't trust me at all. They treated me like a time bomb. If I'd stayed with the Guardians I know I would have gone feral." She reached for Tori's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "So, no," she continued. "I'm not ecstatic to be back here. But I know this isn't my gig. It's yours. I'm just along for the ride this time. It's fine."

Tori finally tore her gaze from the ceiling and settled it on Jade. She could see the reluctant hope in her eyes. "I just... I don't know. I don't want to come back from a mission one day and have you be gone again. Get too tired of the Guardian stuff and just take off."

"I don't think that's going to happen." The pair fell silent. They both already knew this about themselves; they were bonded. More than friends, more than lovers, they had created something all those years ago that night Jade had disappeared. They didn't vocalize it much—they didn't have to—but they both felt better when the other was near. Whole. Safe. Jade, as unreliably flighty as she could be at times, didn't want to experience that kind of hollow loneliness ever again.

"You like me," Tori smiled after a moment.

"Shut up," Jade huffed.

"You liiiiike me," she teased again.

"You're all right sometimes," she conceded.

"You miss me when I'm gone."

"Not really. I get the whole bed to myself," Jade dismissed casually.

"I've come in late before and seen you cuddling my pillow in your sleep," Tori revealed.

"Shut _up_ ," Jade ordered, pinching her calf through her jeans. The younger girl yelped and kicked her legs out of Jade's lap, hauling herself upright and planting a kiss on her pale cheek.

"I like you too," she whispered, leaning her head on Jade's shoulder.

Jade huffed and rolled her eyes before finding Tori's hand again and lacing their fingers together. "Good."


	7. Chapter 7

Some time passed before they were disturbed again. Tori and Jade lay on the couch, exhausted by the day's events so far. The Dark hybrid had slipped into a quasi-sleep, pacified by the small trickle of endorphins Tori was pumping into her. Her head rested on the Latina's shoulder; Tori held Jade's injured hand in her own and traced her fingers gently over her bruised knuckles. "You owe me a real vacation after this is over," Jade murmured.

"You pick the place," Tori agreed.

"A beach somewhere."

"Done."

"With full beach service."

"I'll make the arrangements."

"With you in a pink thong bikini," Jade teased.

"Not a chance, West."

"Teal thong bikini."

"Not at all."

" _Fine_ , no bikini at all. Nude."

"Jade!" The younger hybrid smacked her on the shoulder lightly.

Jade continued to describe various lecherous wardrobes, amused by Tori's increasing embarrassment. She was, in Jade's opinion, far too easy to goad when the mood struck her. A sudden knock on their door interrupted her fun, and her smile evaporated as Aria entered the room before either girl could grant her entrance. "Eris wants to speak with both of you," she informed.

"What about?" Jade demanded, irritated.

"We attempted to negotiate with her. She refused without the both of you present," Aria explained.

She heard Tori sigh heavily next to her. "All right, then. Ready?" She squeezed her hand in reassurance.

The faster they got this squared away the faster she'd be free of this whole situation. She nodded slightly and they rose, hand in hand, and followed Aria through the maze that was the Vault towards an awaiting Eris.

They arrived to find Maddie, Clarence, and Andre waiting outside the door, talking quietly to themselves. "She's still refusing to talk to anyone but them," Maddie scowled as they neared. "This is elder business, not theirs. You need to convince her that we're the ones she needs to be dealing with," she instructed sternly.

"I'm sure Eris is going to do exactly what Eris wants to do. We're just going to have to try and work with her demands until they become unreasonable," Aria muttered, defeated. "Ultimately she knows that they don't have the resources we have. If she's smart she'll defer to negotiating with us." She turned her attention to Tori and addressed her sternly. "Do not agree to anything until you've gotten our approval, all right?" Both girls nodded in agreement and, apparently satisfied, she smoothed her rumpled shirt. "Okay. Head in."

Jade took the lead, brushing past Tori and shouldering through the elders to Eris' door. She pushed it open and peeked her head in to find the goddess sitting on the couch opposite of her bed thumbing through a novel that had been provided to her. "My, my. How desperate they must be." She smiled wryly as they walked in and shut the door behind them.

"Let's just get this over with," Jade huffed. She leaned against the door and crossed her arms impatiently. "What do you want?"

"A new room, for one. Preferably with a window," she began.

"Is that it?" Tori asked hopefully.

"Oh, honey," Eris tilted her head sympathetically. "No. Not at all."

"What else?" Jade pressed.

"I want access to Guardian archives. Records. Spellbooks," she continued.

"I doubt that'll happen," Tori frowned.

Eris closed the book and placed it on the end table. "Well, sister dearest, you may want to convince them if you expect me to translate a single page."

"We'll see what we can do, Eris," Jade interjected before Tori could object further. "But they're going to want to know why you're wanting to dig through their records."

"I've been gone from this realm for so long. I'd just like to know what the hybrids have been up to," she explained. "It'd be better reading than the trash written this century."

Jade narrowed her pale eyes. "I call bullshit on that."

"Call bullshit all you want, dear. I want those records. Those are my terms. See what you can do, won't you?"

"Is that all?" Tori sighed.

"For now," Eris smiled. "I know they're all lurking out there waiting for you. I can feel their disdain. Go tell them my demands." She waved them away. "Also, make one of them, the loud one, preferably, get my lunch."

Jade rolled her eyes and reached for the latch. "Oh, Jade?" Eris stopped her. "Let lotus petal take the message. It is Guardian business, after all."

Jade and Tori shared a glance. Eris was clearly up to something. "Just go. I'll be fine. Try and get Aria to consider the records," Jade muttered softly as she opened the door.

"Are you sure?" Tori whispered.

Jade nodded towards the Guardians waiting outside. "If we play her games she's more likely to work with us. I'll stay on this side of the barrier. If things get weird you're right outside. I'll be fine." She put her hand on Tori's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly before pushing her out into the hallway.

She shut the door behind her and turned back to find that Eris has moved quietly to toe the edge of the barrier, just a few feet from the hybrid. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Well, what is it?" Jade snapped impatiently.

"I have one more special request that's just between us," she admitted.

"I'm not sleeping with you," Jade said quickly and flatly.

"Your loss," Eris waved dismissively. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to expect the Guardians to give me access to their documents?"

"Then what the hell was all that? Are you just trying to waste our time?" She replied in frustration.

"Partly. But I needed to keep all of them distracted for a moment so I could discuss our bargain."

The hair on the back of Jade's neck prickled anxiously. "What do you want?" She asked cautiously.

"You." Her smiled broadened, her eyes narrowed predatorily.

"Me," she repeated dumbly.

"Well, Shade, specifically. I want a chance to have him back," she clarified. "I help you, and in return I want to see which part of you really is the strongest: the mortal or the demon."

"Wh-what? No!" Jade sputtered indignantly. She had only lost control of Shade for a few hours, but she carried the guilt of his actions with her to this day. The anger, the chaos, the demonic bloodlust that came with his control was suffocating, maddening at times. She couldn't risk that again. She couldn't.

"Are you really that worried?" Eris teased. "You and Tori seem so confident in your 'goodness.' After all, you've come back from possession more than once now, haven't you?"

"Then why bother?" Jade demanded. Of course she was worried. Her soul was at stake.

"I want to watch you suffer, of course," Eris replied as she reclaimed her seat on the couch. She spread her arms along the back and crossed her legs, looking very smug with her current authority. "Even if you are as strong as you like to pretend to be, perhaps I'll have Shade for at least a few moments. And if you're weak, like I suspect you are, I'll have my favorite general back at my side again."

Jade felt Shade bristle with excitement inside of her and she clenched her eyes shut for a moment to silence him. "I'm not going to play this game with you," she muttered, forcing her eyes open to focus on the goddess.

Erie leaned forward, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. "You won't? Even if my assistance depends on it?"

Jade inhaled deeply. She was stuck, she realized. To turn her down would leave the Guardians, Tori, unprepared for whatever was on the horizon. To agree meant risking her soul to her demon.

"Tick tock, Jade. What's your decision? Save the Guardians? Or save yourself?"

The pale girl frowned. Yet again she found herself exactly where she never wanted to be: at the center of a Guardian crisis. Her instinct was, as always, to run. Bolt. Disappear off the radar and let the others figure it out. Eris would have no other choice but to make other demands, ones that didn't involve her. Running, though, came with a new set of problems, she realized. Tori wouldn't leave the Guardians, not with the looming storm, and she couldn't fathom leaving her behind. Her mind reeled as she struggled to choose.

After a moment, she realized she had no choice. Not really. "You help us and we survive whatever this is, and I'll do it," she agreed, defeated.

Eris smiled, and Jade couldn't help but notice the hunger in her eyes. She rose to her feet and approached the crystalline barrier, hand extended. Jade sighed and met her at the border and took her hand in her own. The goddess' grip was like ice – cold and unyielding. She held tightly and shook her hand twice; they held each other's gaze without faltering. "We have a deal." Eris dropped her hand and placed her hand on her hips. "I'm suddenly feeling fairly generous, Jade. Why don't you go check on negotiations?"

Without another word and needing no more encouragement, Jade turned to leave. "Oh, and, Jade?" Eris called.

" _What_?" Jade demanded impatiently, whipping her hair over her shoulder as she glanced back.

"Keep this our little secret. I don't think the elders would be pleased to know you've agreed to this, would they?" She smiled.

Jade ground her teeth in frustration. She had no plans to share this information. Not with Aria and definitely not with Tori. She knew her girlfriend would be livid, would cancel the agreement. She wouldn't allow Jade to risk her soul again. That was Tori's weakness: she wanted to save everyone, and that was rarely an achievable possibility. Her hesitance almost cost her her life when she faced off against Eris months ago. They didn't know their enemy now; who knew what her reluctance could cost them. So she would keep this secret, not because Eris demanded it, but because she knew must. This was not the moment to indulge in panic. It was time to act.

She took a deep breath and held it as she tried to calm her anxiety. She knew Tori would sense it immediately otherwise and suspect her secrecy. Mental walls constructed, she turned the latch and slipped out without another word. Had she known what was waiting for her in the hallway, however, she might have chosen to remain in the room with the sociopathic goddess.

* * *

Tori stood patiently as Maddie and Aria bickered amongst themselves. As expected, none of the elders had been receptive to the notion of allowing a semi-crazed goddess access to their history. The bid for a new room with a view had been an easy win—windows and walls were easy to enchant and reinforce. The records, however, were a more serious concern.

"Absolutely not," Maddie denounced firmly.

"Surely, Madeline, there are a few texts that would be safe for her to peruse. What could she take from a few old historical accounts?" Aria countered.

This conversation had been going on for the past few minutes. Clarence, Andre and Tori stood against the opposite wall as the two elders continued to squabble, sharing concerned glances as it became more heated.

"The decision shouldn't be decided by the three of us," Aria finally interrupted as Maddie continued on her tirade. "Let the rest of the council vote. I, for one, am willing to permit limited access. She doesn't know what's in there. We can give her the dull stuff and let her get bored."

"I vote that the second she's done assisting us we put her back in another enchanted sleep," Maddie replied briskly.

"You know that will somehow backfire. She's already beaten our sleep charms once," Aria countered as she crossed her arms.

"That's because _you_ didn't use the spell I suggested," the hybrid argued.

"I swear, Maddie, you—"

Before the situation could degenerate even further, the door they had crowded around creaked open and Jade appeared. Tori frowned, sensing a reticence as soon as she laid eyes on her. What had they talked about in her absence?

Jade only met her gaze for a moment before clearing her throat and addressing Aria. "Well?" she asked expectantly.

"We'll prepare her new room ASAP," she conceded, "but the records are another matter. We're going to discuss it with the rest of the elders."

"That's what I figured," Jade grumbled. She turned back to the door and nudged it open with the tip of her boot.

"Eris, room—yes. Records—maybe," she informed.

Tori peeked over Aria and Jade's shoulder to find the goddess waiting expectantly at the threshold of her prison. "I want a nice view. With a window seat," she demanded.

"Done," Aria conceded.

"And a TV."

"Done," Maddie scowled.

"With Hulu and Netflix."

"This isn't a hotel, Eris. You're a prisoner," Jade barked impatiently.

"Hulu and Netflix," Eris repeated, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"I'll arrange it," Aria agreed from behind.

"And when will I know about accessing the archives?"

"The council will meet soon. I'm sure we can come to some arrangement," Clarence chimed in from the back. Eris knitted her brows as she studied him, as if just now noticing his presence. She appeared unimpressed.

"…I accept your terms. Bring me the necromancers' book." She said after a moment, addressing Aria directly. Her gaze flickered momentarily to Jade and Tori narrowed her gaze suspiciously. Something wasn't sitting right with this agreement. It seemed too easy.

"Madeline, go," Aria ordered. "Clarence, go upstairs and gather the elders. _Carefully_ , please. Don't touch anyone." She stepped forward and offered her hand. "Your cooperation is appreciated, Eris."

The goddess ignored her hand and placed her hands on her hips. "Tell the loud one I want my lunch," she demanded.

All gazes shifted to Madeline. "Oh, _I'm_ the loud one?" She snapped indignantly once she realized.

"Maddie," Aria said through gritted teeth as she returned to the doorway. "Will you please see to it that Eris gets her lunch?" Her tone left no room for dispute. The pair locked glares for a moment and the empath could sense severe disdain radiating from both of them; they clearly had never been fond of one another, and in high-stress situations that contempt only intensified.

"Clarence. Let's go," Maddie muttered obediently as she shouldered past the dragon hybrid.

The remaining hybrids watched their retreat down the hallway, their footsteps the only sound breaking the tense silence.

"Well. This has been a fun day, hasn't it?" Eris chimed in. She was clearly entertained. Tori could feel the joy radiating from her like a small sun. She finally moved from her spot against the wall to stand next to Jade, feeling a sudden need to support her girlfriend. She laced their fingers together and studied her curiously; whatever upset Eris had stirred in her seemed to have passed. The worry in her eyes had disappeared, and Jade met her gaze with her usual annoyance. She nudged her shoulder with her own and Jade nudged her back, their silent message to one another that all was well.

All was well, and with Eris helping them they'd translate the text and solve this mystery, all would be fine.


	8. Chapter 8

Tori sat in silence on the couch in Eris' room, thumbing the corners of the necromancers' book impatiently. The goddess lounged on her stomach on her bed, her legs kicking back and forth as she flipped through a _Pottery Barn_ magazine. She twirled a pen in her fingers and would periodically circle something on a page before turning to the next. She was picking out furniture for her new room—painfully slowly, Tori might add.

To make matters worse she was demanding Jade's constant attention. In the past fifteen minutes the older hybrid had gotten up and down at least a dozen times from her spot on the couch. To save time she remained at the foot of the bed, leaning against the footboard and staring, disinterested, at the magazine as well. She propped her chin up on her elbow and grunted a bleak response every time Eris demanded her opinion.

"What do you think of this wardrobe?" Eris held the catalogue up so she could see.

"I think it's going to be empty since you've got nothing to put in it," Jade grumbled.

"I don't think it goes well with the bed I picked out," the goddess ignored her dour response and continued flipping.

The hybrids shared an annoyed look; Tori could see Jade's growing frustration, could easily see it etched into the tired lines on her face. Tori cleared her throat. "Eris," she interjected. "Could we get to this now?" She waved the book in the air.

The goddess sighed dramatically, and for a brief moment she felt as if she was seeing her sister again for the first time in a century. It sometimes surprised her how remarkably similar they were. "Give it," Eris demanded. Tori tossed the book to Jade who caught it with ease and handed it to the goddess. She noticed when Eris took the book her fingers brushed against Jade's and she smirked; Jade jerked her hand away as if she'd been burned and rubbed it against her jeans, as if she were trying to rub away a stain.

Since her private discussion with Eris, Tori had noticed Jade had been somewhat withdrawn and distant, as if consumed by something. She wasn't stupid; she knew it had something to do with whatever they'd talked about. She just knew now wasn't the time to drag it to the surface.

"My, my," Eris muttered with some admiration.

"What is it?" Tori asked hopefully.

"This book isn't old by immortal standards—maybe four hundred years or so—but the content is millennia. Scribes must have transposed from the original. Some of the content predates even my birth," she explained as her eyes scanned the page, translating a language long ago lost to time.

"How can you tell?" The young hybrid rose to her feet to take her spot by Jade, peering with interest at the text before her.

"Because it doesn't mention me. Or my brothers or sisters. Or any of those intolerable aunts and uncles. That smug Athena or vain Aphrodite. That baby Ares—"

"Eris," Jade snapped her fingers in the goddess' face.

"Who does it mention? The Titans?" Tori pressed.

"Even better," Eris smiled smugly as she flipped the page and continued reading. "Their parents, the Old Ones." She looked up, clearly expecting a stunned reaction. Instead she found an identical pair of knitted eyebrows and bemused frowns. "The Protogonoi?" Jade and Tori glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "Do you… just…" She stumbled over her words as she tried to process their ignorance. "You both share a body with millennial-old magickal entities. I don't know what Lucia and you chat about in your free time," she glared pointedly at Tori. "But Shade knows of the primordials. The first deities." She stared expectantly at Jade.

"We don't exactly chit-chat over a cup of tea, Eris. He stays locked up." Jade shook her head in disbelief. "I don't talk to him."

Eris pushed herself onto her hands and knees and tapped the center of Jade's forehead angrily. "Shade is young by my standards. He wouldn't be able to read this. Neither would your idiot," she glanced at Tori. "But he certainly knows whom I'm speaking of. Don't you, Shade?" She raised her voice at the last part and Jade stepped back out of her easily accessible range.

Tori felt her spirit stir within her, wakening as the goddess raged. Lucia wouldn't interrupt without her host's permission, but she was eager to watch the exchange. "What does it say about them?" She pressed.

Eris sighed and sat back on her bed and placed the book in her lap. "What do you know about Twilight?" She asked, brow perked skeptically.

"Magick versus magick with mortals in the crossfire. Mortals create hybrids. Hybrids push gods and magicks into the Void. Yay humanity," Jade said flatly, waving her fist lifelessly above her head.

Eris stared at her dumbly and then to Tori. "Do you have anything to contribute?"

"Um…no," Tori admitted somewhat sheepishly. "Those are the cliffnotes."

The goddess scoffed. "All right. Do you know why it was magick versus magick?"

"Becaaaause… you're all a bunch of dicks," Jade guessed. Tori nudged her with her elbow; now was not the time to taunt the deity.

"Because there's always a power struggle," Eris shot her a withering stare but otherwise ignored her. "That's one thing that will never change no matter the realm, no matter the race. Every religion has primordial deities. There are dozens of them, more than even the Guardians know. Parents of the gods. They fought amongst themselves for control of this realm. Their children fought for control of this realm. The mortals are doing the same now. The power struggle is inevitable."

"What's your point, Eris?" Jade pressed.

Eris waved the book in their face. "I'm getting there." She fell silent as she continued to skim the following pages, tracing her index finger along the text as she did so. "The Titans overthrew the Protogonoi, the Olympians overthrew the Titans. Not necessarily the case with all the other theologies but many of the primordials were an active threat to their children, so we sent them through the Void and took this world as our own. Inevitably, we began to squabble for dominance.

"The creation of the Guardians was a successful attempt by the mortals to take the world from us. But it wasn't their first attempt. Quiz time, children, do you know what their first plan was?" She glanced up at them expectantly.

The Latina frowned and turned to her companion. This was not a part of their history. Since her calling she'd always been told that Atticus' effort was the first and only to expel the immortals.

"Figures," Eris sighed. "Atticus wasn't alone in the beginning, did you know that? He had companions; they all sought to banish us. They had all heard the myths of the Old Ones, and assumed the old adage, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' to be true."

"They wanted to bring the primordial gods back to defeat you," Jade muttered.

"Ten points to Hufflepuff." Eris snapped her fingers in Jade's direction.

"Hufflepuff?" Jade scoffed indignantly, "I'm clearly a Slytherin."

"Did they succeed?" Tori asked.

"They didn't have a chance," the goddess continued. "We killed them before they could devise the last of the ritual. Myself and my phonoi." An evil smile spread across her face. "Well, all of them but Atticus. He wasn't fond of the idea of bringing more deities into the fight. He predicted the same outcome that we did: the Old Ones would have turned against the mortals once we were out of the picture. He had left their company to seek an alternative means to save your race. By the time we slaughtered them he was long gone. Perhaps he carried one of their grimiores with him, because I recall burning all we could find. Yet, here we are." She raised the book and waved it in their direction.

"That's what that is? So the necromancers—" Tori began.

"—Are trying to free the Old Ones?" Jade finished. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. "That's what's in that book?"

"Indeed it is. Here you have their nearly complete step-by-step guide to bring about the end of your world." She tossed the book on the bed. "Idiots."

"Well, so, it's incomplete. The necromancers couldn't have even finished the ritual if we hadn't interrupted them, right? So we should be in the clear?" Tori asked hopefully.

"Unless they have since found a way to complete it," Eris countered as she opened the book again and flipped to the final few pages. "And it would appear that they're very close."

Tori felt a knot tighten in her stomach. "How close?"

"Where did you capture them, again?" the goddess ignored her question.

"New Mexico."

"I bet near Hopi Indian land?" she guessed.

"…Sure?" Tori replied hesitantly.

"Many of the Native American primordials were banished. Too much bickering among them. It would appear part of the ritual to bring them back requires visiting their sacred spaces. Eons ago there was probably an altar there. Something precious to them. It appeared you interrupted their efforts. Lucky you."

"So… no apocalypse?" Jade ventured.

"Well, I didn't say that. If anything you just slowed them down," Eris informed.

"They're in a room just down the hall. I think it's safe to say we put a stop to it," Tori explained.

"Unless there are others. Did you even bother to ask?"

"They're practically comatose if you could even call it that. Their telepaths can't read their minds, and Tori and I can't sense any emotions from them. They might as well be a brick wall," Jade replied.

The goddess hummed to herself as he eyes drifted down the page. "Well, that's no good." She grinned and glanced back up at them. "That's no good at all."

"Cut the shit, Eris," the pale girl snapped. "What does it say?" She reached for the book only to have Eris hold it just out of reach.

She tutted reproachfully. "I have another request first," she informed. "It's clear you're woefully unprepared to handle this situation. I'd like to offer you my help. And by offer I obviously mean insist."

"Your translation will be more than enough," Tori countered firmly.

"Yeah… about that. I'm not translating another line unless you agree. And, wow, you really want to know what the rest of it says. Especially this page." She tapped the book, teasing them. "I want out of this prison, even if it is just for a little while."

"Do you mean, like, out to the breakroom?" The Latina asked hopefully.

"Oh, no, to solve this problem we're going to have to do a bit of travelling," Eris assured.

Tori opened and closed her mouth soundlessly; words refused to come as she was struggling to process the information they'd just learned. Another apocalypse. The rise of the primordial gods. The knowledge of how to stop it was right in front of them, literally, and it was unobtainable without the assistance of a goddess. A goddess who had tried to kill her, Jade, and the rest of the human race no less.

"Do you hear how crazy you sound?" Jade jumped in. "The council won't allow it. You attempted world domination. You killed Guardians, you killed _humans_. They're hesitant to even let you out of your room and you want to go outside?"

"Well, that's where you two come in, isn't it?"

"No amount of us interceding on your behalf is going to convince them. It's just not going to happen," Tori fumbled desperately.

"Oh, please, I know that. I want you to break me out," Eris explained.

Tori's jaw actually dropped. "Eris," she laughed nervously, "No one has escaped the Vault. No one. Ever."

"But I've got something they didn't have: Guardians on my side." Tori could feel the arrogance and self-satisfaction pulsating from her, as if the tide was coming in.

"Eris, get serious. There's no way. Even if we could, we wouldn't. We know you'll disappear the second you're able." Jade argued.

"Now, wait a second," Eris raised a finger is disagreement. "Feel free to bind my powers. I know you know how, lotus petal," she glanced at Tori. "Would that make you feel better? Knowing that I can't teleport, and I can't make your precious Jade go feral? I'd be basically mortal. Powerless against the two of you."

Jade and Tori shared another concerned glance; Tori'd lost track of how many they had made today. As foolish as she knew this was, the goddess was making a compelling argument. But she knew there was an ulterior plan. There always was with her. She could sense Jade had come to the same conclusion.

"Let's just for one second assume that we're actually considering this. We break you out. Then what? They'd hunt us down in a second," Jade argued.

Eris squinted her eyes and studied them. "Only if you ruined the seals carved on your chest and…" she trailed off as her gaze shifted from one hybrid to another. "I don't think you did. She's not about to get back on the radar." She pointed at Jade. "And you're not about to betray her secret." She jabbed the same finger in Tori's direction.

Tori could practically feel her scar throbbing at Eris' accusation; no, she hadn't destroyed hers yet. If Jade ever decided to disappear again Tori wanted to be able to go with her. She couldn't do that if the Guardians could track her.

"We're undetectable. We break out, we take care of this Old Ones business, uninhibited by your useless Guardians, we come back heroes. You get to prevent another apocalypse, I get some fresh air. Win-win."

Jade sighed heavily and made her way to the couch against the wall. She rested her elbows on her knees and dropped her head into her hands, her emerald tresses spilling over her face. "This is crazy," she groaned.

"Chaotic, actually. If you need some time to think if over, children, I can wait. I'm fairly certain I hold all the cards in this game though. I hope you come to that same conclusion sooner rather than later," Eris hummed triumphantly.

Tori released her vice grip on the footboard and flexed the stiffness from her fingers. "Jade, come with me," she muttered as she extended a hand to lead her from the room. They needed to have this discussion without the goddess present. "We'll be back with our answer soon," she informed Eris.

"I'll be here reading! Don't take too long. Armageddon and all that."

* * *

"I need a million cigarettes," Jade breathed as their bedroom door latched behind them. She made a beeline for her bag and emptied it on the bed, snatching a crumpled pack of Marlboro's from the pile. "What are we going to do?" She asked through pursed lips as she lit up.

Tori hadn't heard Jade sound so hopeless before, and wondered if that's how she herself sounded. "I don't know," she admitted, and it scared her.

"She's the only one who can read that fucking grimoire."

"So she's the only one who knows what the ritual requires."

"And how to stop it."

"And who knows what else," Tori added exasperatedly. "And she won't tell us if we don't release her."

Jade took a long drag from her cigarette and ashed it on the floor. "The council won't allow it."

"They won't," Tori agreed.

They both stared at the glowing cherry at the end of Jade's cigarette, the long, thin tendril of smoke that wafted from it. Tori's mind was reeling, and she tapped into Lucia's psyche to try and calm her thoughts. It wasn't that she needed the clarity to make a decision; no, she needed mental stillness to resolve herself to the truth.

"Tori," Jade broke the silence.

"Jade," Tori replied softly.

"We have to break Eris out of the Vault."

"I know."


End file.
